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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity due to her crackdown on protests led by students which resulted in her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the disturbances in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative Jisanul Haque told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of further participants, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by media examinations during the current year indicated she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Before the decision, family members of those who died in the demonstrations stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist told media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this country."

The activist added that the sentence was not resolution for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.